They Remember
by PenonPaperFingersonKeys
Summary: The staff of Hogwarts, they dream of those smiling faces, the ones that were ever present before the war tore done all that was precious. They remember those old students, the ones that are always there and whose laughs haunt the halls. The staff remember


**They Remember  
By jessicats**

The echo of laughter haunted the halls, the memory of old students ever present in their minds. The romances, dramas and friendships of the dead or forgotten.

The staff of Hogwarts –the ones that have been there for longer than any student can remember- they dream of those smiling faces, the ones that were ever present before the war tore done all that was precious. They try to forget, immerse themselves in the new students whose faces are already worn under the war. But there is only the occasional prank now, only the scattered mischief makers who secretly the professors love, but will never admit.

Before there were plenty.

For Minerva McGonagall there were the Marauders: James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew. Lily Evans. She remembers their friendship, the one that seemed unbreakable. She remembers the way that James tried to hide his affection for Lily than did nothing but show it in the most extravagant ways, the way he was ever so loyal, the way he was a leader, the way he could twist McGonagall around his finger with that dashing smile of his. She remembers Sirius Black whose temper was only rivalled by Lily's, whose family always seemed to haunt him in his classical looks and despairing face, but how he never stopped fighting them. She remembers Remus and his tired worn look after a full moon, his face alight the days after his friends accepted him for who –what- he was. She remembers Peter. She could say things about him, things that she thought back then and that she thinks now, but she restrains herself. She sees Lily who reminds her so much of herself, stubborn, defiant and unwilling to let a boy get that hold over her. James Potter did it though.

Horace Slughorn remembers lots of people, additions to his trophy case, to his autograph collection. He remembers Regulus Black who joined the Death Eaters and died. He remembers Severus Snape, who was actually a Gryffindor at heart and he remembers those faces that he thinks he sees in the halls. He can't, he _can't_, remember the student who bought this death down upon them all.

Filius Flitwick remembers that sweet little girl who bought him sugar quills every Christmas. She died at the hands of war. For a week after he hears that he has dreams of big blues eyes and dainty hands, a sugar quill clasped in them. He remembers those students that were classified as 'bookworms' and 'nerds' before they had a chance to make friends. He remembers that boy that spent his free time in the library, the girl who cried herself to sleep after she was teased by her peers. He remembers those people who everybody else classifies as insignificant nobodies because they remind him of himself.

Pomana Sprout remembers one couple, two people of such pride and sincerity. She remembers how they beamed when they were placed into Hufflepuff even though other people snickered. She remembers how he held her hand under the table for the first time, she remembers giving them detention for PDA and she remembers beaming with pride as the girl is called as one of the top girls in the year. She remembers feeling blissfully happy as their son is sorted into Hufflepuff. She remembers reading herself to sleep, trying to comfort herself as her son is named one of the Hogwarts Champions and she remembers her old favourite pupil's faces as they see their only son cold and broken in the arms of Harry Potter, dead before they could say good-bye. She remembers touching their shoulders but they are too blind to see her. She remembers the Diggory's.

Each and every professor remembers. They remember those times where laughter was in abundance, they remember those times when Albus Dumbledore strode, alive and well, around the school with that frustrating twinkle in his eyes. They remember when the only thing their students had to worry about was handing an essay in late or getting a detention. They remember when there was no war and they were happy.


End file.
